Go Dani Go
Directed by Chelsea Patricia Ramirez
A spunky girl helping her mother in the fields must choose between putting soccer or family first.
4th Annual
NYUSFF
April 26–27 & May 4, 2024 · Angelika Film Center & NYU Production Lab
The 4th Annual festival screened 19 official selections at the Angelika Film Center, debuted the NYUSFF Pitch Contest, and welcomed Ted Lasso creator Bill Lawrence as honoree.
- Submissions
- 150
- Countries
- 18
- Official selections
- 19
- Honorable mentions
- 5
Festival
Highlights
In 2024, the festival featured 19 official selections and 5 honorable mentions chosen from 150 submissions from 18 countries. At the Angelika Film Center, filmmakers from around the world spoke to a packed theater before their films.
Back at the NYU Production Lab, the Athlete-Centric Storytelling panel brought together a Sports Emmy-winning editor, a CBS Sports producer, a Topic Studios executive, and an NCAA champion. It was also the debut year of the NYUSFF Pitch Contest, judged by producers from Madison Square Garden Sports, SaChin Productions, Black Lion TV, and Point Road Productions.
On the second weekend, NYUSFF welcomed Bill Lawrence for an honoree Q&A and screened student films from NYU’s first-ever Sports Documentary Course. 2024 also saw the launch of the Athletics Film Workshops with NYU Athletics.
April 26–27 & May 4, 2024Event Schedule
Friday, April 26
- 2:00–3:00pmAthlete-Centric Storytelling PanelNYU Production Lab
- 3:30–4:30pmPitch ContestNYU Production Lab
- 5:45–8:30pmFilm Screening Part 1Angelika Film Center
Saturday, April 27
- 4:45–5:30pmQ&A with Selected FilmmakersAngelika Film Center
- 5:30–7:30pmFilm Screening Part 2Angelika Film Center
- 8:00–9:30pmAwards Ceremony & Networking ReceptionNYU Production Lab
Saturday, May 4
- 2:00–3:00pmHonoree Q&A with Bill Lawrence (virtual)NYU Production Lab
- 3:00–5:30pmSports Doc Course ScreeningNYU Production Lab
2024 Award WinnersAwards & Recognition
Film Awards
- Jury Grand Prize Driving Force — Daniela Magnani Hüller · $500
- Audience Award A Violet Blooms — Prabhat Seelamsetti · $500
- Best NYU Documentary La Lucha — Matthew Tan · $300
- Best Open Documentary We Clap for Airballs — Sai Selvarajan · $300
- Best NYU Narrative Swim Captain — Christa Haley · $300
- Best Open Narrative AhmadReza Buffon — Morteza Shahbazi · $300
- Action Sports Award Bucking on the Rez — Ziyi Xu · $300 + mentorship meeting with a Red Bull Media House director
Pitch Contest
- Pitch Contest Award Love Forty — Lily van Leeuwen & Rebecca O’Neill · $500 + consultation meetings with 5 producers
SNY TV Special
- SNY Final Four Featured in primetime broadcasts of the SNY x NYUSFF television special
Filmmakers on the step-and-repeat in 2024
A screening at the Angelika Film Center
19 films, two nights at the AngelikaOfficial Selections
Screening Night 1 · Friday, April 26
Bonneville Brothers
Directed by Tommaso Magnano · Italy
Italian brothers fulfill their Bonneville dreams.
La Lucha (The Fight)
Directed by Matthew Tan
A day in the lives of two boxers in Havana — 7-year-old Daniel, who dreams of becoming a national star, and 45-year-old former champion Evelio, who now works multiple jobs to get by.
Bucking on the Rez
Directed by Ziyi Xu
Two young Indigenous women challenge sexism and adulthood as they navigate the world of bull riding on the Navajo Nation reservation.
Skate Fast Turn Left
Directed by Mary Hawkins
Two friends, Fifi Fleshwound and Little Mary Switchblade, look back on their roller derby years in this animated short.
A Violet Blooms
Directed by Prabhat Seelamsetti
A documentary about the NYU women’s basketball team on its way to the NCAA Division III championship.
Transenders
Directed by Diane Russo Cheng
An intimate look at the nonprofit Skate Like A Girl through the eyes of Alexa, a trans woman skateboarder and mentor.
Bless the Child
Directed by Cole Johnson
A child with sensory processing sensitivity attempts to overcome the chaos of the New York City streets.
Swim Captain
Directed by Christa Haley
A high school swimmer struggles with her tampon before practice.
Slow Down the Fall
Directed by Camille Tricaud & Franziska Unger · France
Two ski jumpers reunite for the first time since their separation, rehearsing, posing, and answering questions for a film crew in the Alps.
Flyweight
Directed by Parker V Sack
An MMA fighter puts her body through hell to lose 15 pounds in a week.
We Clap for Airballs
Directed by Sai Selvarajan
A layered documentary in which the basketball court becomes a safe space for queer and trans BIPOC players to play, feel seen, and heal in community.
Screening Night 2 · Saturday, April 27
Shot Clock
Directed by King Lu
Three teenagers weaponize their race and gender to hustle people at basketball in LA — until the gamesmanship gets too real.
The Michael Leon Project
Directed by Blake Horn
University of Michigan soccer star Michael Leon returns to Accra, Ghana, to give 100 uniforms to the youth team that ignited his passion.
Fighting Blind
Directed by Margarida Duque de Castela
Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist Angel Adorno shares the victories and challenges of being blind in a sighted world, in a film designed for blind audiences.
False Start
Directed by Kansas Ballesteros
A college swimmer must manage her trauma while continuing to train.
The Pahlevan on 5th Ave
Directed by Pranay Sanwal
The story of an Iranian rug dealer on Fifth Avenue whose prolific wrestling career is hidden beneath a veil of humility.
AhmadReza Buffon
Directed by Morteza Shahbazi
Village teenagers preparing for a football match are forced to play with a newcomer obsessed with goalkeeping and Italian keeper Buffon.
Driving Force
Directed by Daniela Magnani Hüller · Germany
Racing drivers Laura Kraihamer and Claudia Hürtgen defy the odds in the male-dominated world of motorsport.
Shown during the reception viewingHonorable Mentions
Things Behind the Sun
Directed by Giran Findlay · Canada
A week in the life of a teenage tennis player balancing practice and home life as an important tournament approaches.
The Great British Gymnast
Directed by James Donnelly & Liam Richards · United Kingdom
A former gymnast returns to the sport at 40 to compete at the 2023 British Championships — in women’s artistic styles.
NYU Violets: NCAA Bound
Directed by Betsy Schultz
Follows the NYU Women’s Soccer team on its journey to the NCAA tournament in Fall 2023.
The Break
Directed by Christopher Kosakowski
When an incident occurs mid-race, a top cross country runner must make an impossible decision.
Alex Gray
Directed by Matthew Warter
World-class big wave surfer Alex Gray takes on a challenge bigger than the waves he surfs.
Panels & Pitch ContestSpeakers
Athlete-Centric Storytelling Panel
Friday, April 26 · 2:00–3:00pm · NYU Production Lab
The 2024 festival kicked off with a panel on media centered around the dramatic, unpredictable journeys of athletes, moderated by Festival Head of Media Bennett Garcia.
Ryan Heller
EVP, Film & Documentary, Topic Studios
Oversees Topic’s film and documentary slate, including the Emmy-winning HBO series 100 Foot Wave.
Anthony Cortese
VP of Editorial, Bridgenext
A 13-time Emmy winner who edited the Showtime documentary A Game of Honor and has cut opens for seven Super Bowls.
Rachel Wagner
Producer & Associate Director, CBS Sports
A Sports Emmy winner who produces for The NFL Today and has worked multiple Super Bowls, the Masters, and the Final Four.
Morgan Morrison
NCAA DIII Champion, NYU Women’s Basketball
The 2023 WBCA D3 National Player of the Year, who won an undefeated national title at NYU and is the subject of A Violet Blooms.
Pitch Contest
Friday, April 26 · 3:30–4:30pm · NYU Production Lab
NYUSFF’s inaugural Pitch Contest featured presentations from five selected filmmakers, who received real-time feedback from the judges.
Sing Lee Lathan
Director & Creative Producer, Black Lion TV
Emmy-winning director and NYU Tisch alum who began her career on The Cosby Show and at MTV Sports.
Danny Meiseles
Executive Producer, Madison Square Garden Sports
Leads content for the Knicks and Rangers after a long tenure as President and EP of Global Content at NBA Entertainment.
Chinyere Vann
Co-Founder, SaChin Productions
A 3-time Emmy winner who spent 21 years at CBS Sports, most recently as coordinating producer of The NFL Today.
Billy Raftery
Founder, Point Road Productions
Co-founded Point Road with NBA legend Grant Hill and directed The Maestro: Rollie Massimino Story for Fox Sports.
Honoree Q&AHonoree
Bill Lawrence
Saturday, May 4 · 2:00–3:00pm · Virtual Q&A at the NYU Production Lab
The award-winning writer, producer, and director behind Scrubs, co-creator of the two-time Emmy-winning Ted Lasso, and creator of Shrinking with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford. NYUSFF honored him with a moderated virtual Q&A, with time for questions from attendees.
The people behind the festivalJury & Team
Festival Jury
- John TintoriNYU Production Lab
- Matt HuckNYU Athletics
- Ronnie KayNYU Tisch
- Alice ElliottNYU Tisch
- Judith BalkinNYU Arts & Entertainment
- Billy RafteryPoint Road Productions
Festival Team
- Allegra CameronFestival Director
- Bennett GarciaHead of Media
- Niko SpiridellisDirector’s Assistant
- Surabhi AcharPR Manager
- Sandy WuProgrammer
- Dan ZhengEvent Manager
- Aria SantanaMarketing Manager
- Pinky YuVolunteer Community Manager
- Liam RestivoHost
Special Thanks
- Linsey BostwickNYU Production Lab
- Colin ShepherdNYU Production Lab
- Liz NordNYU Production Lab
- Gina AntonielloTisch Institute of Global Sport
- Kyle DiangkinayNYU Athletics
- Russ Fink, Matt Sandulli & Marie DeParisSNY
Tap a page to view it full sizePrinted Program
On SportsNet New YorkThe 2024 TV Special
Festival films, event highlights, and filmmaker and guest interviews were featured in the 4th Annual NYUSFF television special on SNY.